1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to post type pierced earring fasteners and more particularly to positive stop fasteners having a backup fastening means while also having fastening capability to earrings fitted with the following type posts: (1) conventional indented shoulder posts; (2) conventional threaded posts; and (3) a post with an indented shoulder of such design as to be positively held in the fastener.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The securing of post type earrings to the wearer's ears has become more important because more people are buying expensive earrings. Many earrings are also being lost annually, therefore costing consumers and insurance companies millions of dollars.
Most of the lost earrings were equipped with an indented shoulder post and a friction clutch. Several million pairs of expensive earrings with this type post are either already in the hands of consumers or in various stages of manufacturing or marketing. These earrings need additional security provided for them.
Attempts to make better friction clutches for use on indented shoulder posts has entailed making the clutch curls of slightly different shape or making the entire clutch heavier. The indention of the posts has also been made deeper, but none of these methods has satisfactorily prevented loss of earrings.
Complete changes in the type clutch used on conventional indented posts have been tried with little success in preventing loss. One such clutch constitutes a cylinder of rubber with a hole smaller in diameter than the post drilled through the axis. The cylinder of rubber is also encased in metal around the circumference leaving the hole exposed on at least one end. The rubber's gripping ability is reduced greatly when body oil residues from the ear hole make the posts slippery. Another type clutch is merely a modified tie tac clutch which tends to scrape the posts.
Other attempts to add security have involved changing the entire posts. The threaded post is one example of a completely different post. A threaded nut holds this post in the ear. It takes considerably more time to attach these nuts than other type fasteners. Also, the threads irritate the ear hole and provide a hiding place for bacteria. The threads eventually wear, causing the nuts to loosen and fall off the posts. Several push-on and thread-off nuts have been designed for use on the threaded posts. These nuts are easier to fasten, but their removal is slow and they damage the post threads sooner than conventional threaded nuts.
Still another attempt at adding security is the new "La Poussette" tm catch and post system. The catch offers a positive stop, but must be used with its specially designed post. It incorporates only one post gripping means. The post is worn almost completely extended on the back side of the ear, bringing some risk of injury. Also, the removal mechanism fits tightly against the ear making removal difficult, especially by older or arthritic fingers.
Designing a fastener that offers an absolute positive stop when used on conventional indented shoulder posts has been shown in prior art to be a difficult, if not impossible, task to accomplish. A positive stop mechanism appears to require a specially designed post to accommodate the fastener. Since most present post type pierced earrings have either conventional indented shoulder posts or conventional threaded posts, it becomes apparent that a fastener is needed that will offer additional security to these posts as well as offer a positive stop when used with a specially designed post.
Marketing such a fastener would be simple because the earring owner would simply purchase the catches and slip them on the earring posts. The conventional posts could always be changed to the specially designed posts later, if the owner felt the additional security was needed.